The Link
The Link is a Canadian-American teen comedy-horror film released in 2004, written and directed by Elliot Strange. The film centers on a group of teenagers of different social classes falling victim to a conspiracy surrounding the suicide death of a classmate. Their fathers take matters into their own hands and begin targeting other potential suspects. This was the last theatrical film Strange directed and it received mixed to unfavorable reviews. Plot The film begins with a montage detailing the life, loss of sanity and suicide death of Regina Sporn, a high school student who fell victim to bullying and manipulation, ending her life by taking a fatal dose of sleeping pills. The next day, four suspects are named. Wendy Ross, a wallflower who lacks self-awareness, Rod Slade, a smooth-talking nerd, Ezra Davola, a kind-hearted jock and Jasmie Spader, a realist bully. All four were reported to be the last ones Regina interacted with, and that they bullied her within her final days. The four deny it, claiming that they had no malicious tendencies and a lack of knowledge over the effect of what they did. They bring up that Regina had a fifth contact, Thea Wolf, but she's cleared of any suspicion due to an alibi. A harassment campaign is enacted against the four, and in spite of their best efforts to persevere, they're forced to leave school for their own safety. Overhearing their dilemma, Ezra's father Morris and Rod's father Zachary report to the school principal, but he's unable to do anything due to a lack of evidence proving the fours' innocence. The four band together to spy on Thea, believing her to be the true culprit. Meanwhile, Zachary and Rod, along with two hires Krug and Locke begin antagonizing people who were also associated with Regina. It leads to them attacking and killing the parents of the students in an attempt to drive one of them into confessing, but it just leads to the students killing themselves due to mounting fear and stress. They then turn their focus to Thea, just as the four go to interrogate her and following an altercation, Thea admits that while she didn't outright kill her, she drove her to her death. Thea was obsessed with Regina and tried to worsen the latter's situation to manipulate her into valuing Thea. Thea attempts to kill the four but winds up doing herself in by falling onto a fire poker which pierces into her throat. The fathers and their associates opt to lay low for a while due to their means of investigating. The four frame Thea for the murders and they're exempt from their withstanding accusations. A final shot of Regina's locker reveals a written note with a possible implication that she intended to murder Thea. Cast * Lindsay Lohan: Wendy Ross * Shia LaBeouf: Rod Slade * Drake Bell: Ezra Davola * Elizabeth Rice: Jasmie Spader * Stacey Farber: Regina * Jennifer Freeman: Thea Wolf * Lambert Wilson: Daniel Roswell * Richard Bull: Zachary Slade * Diederich Bader: Morris Davola * Rob McElhenney: Krug * Michael Eklund: Locke Reception The film received mixed to unfavorable reviews, earning a 44% rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes.